Kailel Baldon battles through homelessness to become one of top players in D.C. area
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BVM) — Kailel Baldon excelled on the football field for Ballou High School in 2019. As a starting linebacker for the Knights, Baldon played nine games, tallying 84 tackles (9.33 per game), four sacks, one interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. His efforts earned him a spot on the District of Columbia State Athletic Association first team all-state unit.
“Football means everything,” Baldon said. “Football keeps me out of the streets. It teaches me how to be a man and to love what you’re doing. Football is my life.”
In Baldon’s case, football truly is his life. Baldon has been homeless since he turned 13 after his father was murdered. His mother and other siblings live in a women’s shelter in D.C., leaving the high schooler to mostly fend for himself.
“I have a lot of support now, but back then I didn’t,” Baldon said. “My mother tries to do what she can, but I had to do it on my own.”
While he was able to excel on the field last year, the pandemic has caused some difficulties for Baldon. Although he used a laptop to attend virtual classes regularly, one day Baldon’s laptop stopped working, putting his academic and athletic future in jeopardy.
“I’m not the type of person to complain,” Baldon said. “I’m not ever trying to make an excuse. … I was still doing my work on my phone and I didn’t know when I would get another laptop.”
Fortunately, Baldon’s connections through football helped save him.
Baldon reached out to former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Roc Carmichael, who he had met during a local 7-on-7 camp and serves as a mentor to many young athletes in the D.C. area.
“We just had a connection very quickly,” Baldon said. “As a mentor, he’s taught me a lot of things that I didn’t think he would do because I thought he was just a coach. It’s not just about football, it’s about life lessons.”
Carmichael is also heavily involved with Life Enhancement Services, a mental health program in D.C. that provides tutoring, housing and therapy to disadvantaged youth. Once learning more about Baldon and his struggle, Carmichael knew he could help him in his life.
“When you see him and talk to him, [his homelessness] is never an issue,” Carmichael said. “Kailel was one of the guys who had an amazing story and I know we can help get some eyes on him, it doesn’t even have to be a DI school, but any school. He just wants an opportunity to keep going and if we can get him there, that’s going to be a dream.”
It was through Carmichael’s work with Life Enhancement Services that he suggested Baldon reach out to Respect & Honor Academy, a Maryland-based personal development and athletic program, which was giving laptops to athletes who did not have the resources to do schoolwork online.
“We have a saying here, ‘We have to be the heroes we wished we had,’” Respect & Honor Academy founder Aaron Campbell said. “There wasn’t a Coach Aaron when I was a child. There wasn’t somebody who was relatively in my same age bracket that looked like me, that cared enough, that wanted to invest time, energy and effort to see I had a shot at life. For us to be in a position to be that for someone else, it means everything to us.”
In order to be considered for the laptop, Baldon was required to send in a video explaining how the laptop would help him reach his career and academic goals. The video he sent in left its mark on Campbell.
“He sent us a video that was very impactful,” Campbell said. “As I listened to the video and the things he was saying, I got curious to know more about his story and that’s when I found out about all the behind-the-scenes things that he’s actually dealing with. … When we came across his story, it was just so impactful and so moving. For us to not help him, it would be wrong. He really was a no-brainer when it came to awarding him the laptop.”
Even with all that Baldon has dealt with in his life, Campbell has seen nothing but a motivated and humble young man who works hard both on the field and in the classroom.
“When you meet him, he’s just the most humble kid,” Campbell said. “He smiles. He’s just a joy to be around and that’s rare for a child that age to have to battle the things he’s had to battle. … He still shows up every day. He still works hard and he doesn’t make excuses for any of it. To come across a kid with that type of poise who’s seen that level of adversity at such a young age, how could you not want to support him?”
For Baldon, the benefits are obvious as it would not only allow him to return to his academics full-time, but also give him potential to participate in a high school season next football season after having to miss out this year.
“I was surprised,” Baldon said. “It was right on time. To get another laptop, I was surprised and grateful. … [Playing next year] would mean everything. Last year was my first ever playing varsity so next year is going to be my best year. I’m going to work hard and I’m not going to talk, my game is going to talk.”
As of today, Baldon’s goal remains the same: play his senior year of high school football to obtain a top scholarship to play collegiately. Though he has suffered many difficulties off the field, Baldon certainly has the physical tools to compete at the next level as shown by his all-state performance of a year ago. To obtain a college scholarship would not only mean the world to a professional football hopeful, but to a young athlete who has gone through and endured so much.
“Me and my father’s dream was always for me to go to the NFL,” Baldon said. “Now that he’s gone, I just think I’ve got to do what’s right for him and keep playing football. Even if I don’t make it to the league, I want to do something in football.”
Baldon is currently enrolled at Wise High School in Maryland where he is currently doing online learning. Under the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, the football season will take place during a condensed winter season where teams will play a five-week schedule. With his final season coming up, Baldon wants to show he can dominate in two different athletic associations.
Though he no longer plays in D.C., Baldon knows he couldn’t have gotten where he is today without the helping hand of Carmichael, Campbell and the Respect & Honor Academy. With the goal of playing his senior year of football, Baldon will look to beat the odds once again, hopefully while earning a scholarship opportunity as well.
